It is highly desirable to provide a scrolling capability for efficiently moving through menus on electronic devices. As the capabilities of user devices improve, the need for more efficient scrolling increases. This is due to a variety of technological changes. Devices have ever increasing functionality as technologies converge on single platforms. Computers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, music players, video players, televisions, and network technology are being encompassed on a single device. Larger memories and improved power performance have enabled users to store more information, allowing users to create larger collections of music, videos, contact lists, or the like.
Devices for performing these functions are being built smaller and smaller, such that it is necessary to manipulate large menus and libraries with small user interface and display. In many devices, it is highly desirable to support a scrolling input around the navigation area, to facilitate navigation in lists such as phone books and music or video libraries.
What is needed is a new user interface for improving the user experience when using in portable devices.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.